Winding and reeling mechanism



April 17, 1951 EEEEEEEE ER 2,549,038

Patented Apr. 17, 1951 WINDING AND REELING MECHANISM Raymond E. Zenner, Brookfield, Ill., assignor to Armour Research Foundation of Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application August 16, 1946, Serial No. 690,955

3 Claims. 1

My invention relates to winding and reeling mechanisms for transferring a medium from one spool or pulley to another.

In Winding and reeling mechanisms it is frequently desirable to transfer a longtudinal medium from one medium supporting device, such as a spool or pulley to another at controllable linear Velocity and in a manner avoiding looseness and the consequent possibility of tangling or jerking. In magnetic recorders and reproducers, for example, the magnetizable recording medium should be passed across the recording head at a uniform linear Velocity to cause changes in magnetization along the length thereof in strict accordance With the time Variations of the intelligence to be recorded. In the reproducing operation the process is reversed and the medium passed across the reproducing head at uniform linear Velocity to induce voltages therein having time variation in accordance with the longitudinal Variations in magnetization along the medium, thus to reproduce the intelligence placed thereon. It is of course evident that good fidelity can be achieved only if both the recording and reproducing opera-- tions are carried out with a high degree of constancy of motion of the medium and that variations such as might be due to slack in the medium be avoided. In addition, it is desirable to provide simple, inexpensive, and highly reliable mechanisms for this purpose so as to minimize the first cost and maintenance expense of magnetic recording and reproducing equipment.

It is further desirable in winding and reeling mechanisms, such as those used in a magnetic recorder and reproducer, to maintain a substantially constant pull on the recording medium during recording or reproducing operations and during the re-wind operation, thus to avoid any tendency to break the recording medium. Furthermore, it is desirable to arrange the mechanism so that the winding spool always tends to take up more medium than is released from the unwinding spool to the end that the latter Will not overshoot and thus produce entangling slack when windng is discontinued. i'

It is an object of my invention'to provide an improved winding and reeling mechanism wherein rotationl of a single shaft in one direction accomplishes transfer of the medium in one direction and rotation of that shaft in the opposite direction accomplishes transfer in the reverse direction and the medium is maintained taut at all times.

Another object of my invention isto provide a winding and reeling mechanism having a high degree of simplicity in construction and reliability method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which the single figure shows a'perspective view of an embodiment thereof. i

In the drawing, l and 5 represent storage spools upon which the medium such as wire, tape, etc. is wound, the medium being designated by 3. Spools I and 5 are rigidly mounted on shafts 'l and 9 .respectively so that the corresponding shafts and spools have like angular positions.

Pulley I I is attached to the shaft 'l and is adapted to receive belt |3 which passes on its opposite end through notch |5 on shaft 9.

In order to cause the selective transfer of energy from shaft 'I to shaft 9, an idler assembly shown generallyat l'l is arranged toV coact with belt 13. This assembly includes idler pulley |9 disposed to rotate in accordance with the motion of belt |3 and biasing spring 2l which urges belt |3 to a tightened condition, this spring being attached to member 23 which is adjustably supported by the mechanism shown generally at 24.

Idler assembly l'l is disposed so that When belt [3 rotates in the direction corresponding to unwinding of-'medium 3 from spool I, the idler tends to increase the belt tension as compared to the tension existing when belt [3 rotates in the opposite direction. To this end, idler is located so that when medium 3 is being wound on spool l an increased component of force is exerted thereon in the direction opposing the normally belt tightening action of spring 2l. Thus, in the embodiment shown in the drawing, idler [9 is located to depress the upper portion of belt |3 and spring 2| is arranged to bias the idler in the downward direction. Hence the belt tension pulls the idler in a direction tangential to the surface of pulley H (upward and in the direction of shaft 1) on one side and in a direction substantially towards shaft 9 on the other side.

The former effect of the belt tension opposes spring 2| whereas the latter has no effect. Inasmuch as the upper portion of belt l3 is relatively tighter when shaft 1 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction to rotate shaft 9 along with it, the tensioning action of the spring 2! is opposed to a greater degree in this condition and the belt accordingly is looser on the pulley i l and portion of shaft 9. As is described in further detail hereafter, this effect is supplemented by the action of brake 25. It is the purpose of the mechanism shown generally at to act as a directional brake for shaft 9 and spool 5. To this end, belt 21 is wound about pulley portion 29 of shaft 9 and *stationary member 3l, the ends of this belt being connected by spring 33 at the under'portion. If desired, the portion of belt 21 passing over member 3l may be anchored, as by glueing, nailing, etc. so that relative motion therebetween lis made impossible.

When vshaft 9 rotates in the clockwise direction, belt 21 likewise tends to rotate but this tendency is overcome by the force exerted by member 3| against the belt. This results in increased tension in the lower portion of belt 21 and reduced tension in the upper portion, thereby stretching spring 33 and producing a slight retarding torque on shaft 9. When spool 5 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction a similar tendency exists except that the upper portion of belt 21 is subjected to increased tension and the lower portion decreased tension- Inasmuch as belt' 21 cannot of-itself give, a substantial force is 'produced along the upper portion thereof, this force -being considerably greater than the force obtained when shaft 9 moves clockwise because in that case spring 33 stretches. Inasmuch as the braking torque Von shaft 9 associated With the presence of belt 21 is determined by the pressure of the belt as it passes over the shaft, it is evident that the retarding torque produced by the belt is less in the case of clockwise rotation than counterclockwise rotations so that the belt acts as a one-waybrake, producing greater retarding torque for one direction than the other.

i shaft 1. When this shaft is turned in the clockwise direction, spool l unwinds and spool 5 Winds. In 'this case, belt |3 exerts little force opposing spring 2! so that the full force of this spring is available to tighten belt l3 and cause spool 5- to tend to be driven at an angular Velocity determined by the relative diameters of pulley H and section l5 of shaft 9. In order to keep medium 3 taut during this operation, the diameter of portion I5 of shaft 9 is made so small relative to the ldiameter of pulley H that spool 5 tends to rotate at a speed causing more of medium 3 to be taken up by spool 5 than isf released by rotation of spool I. Belt |3 accordingly slips and thereby introduces the .yieldable pull necessary to accomplish a taut transfer without danger of breakage. When shaft 1 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, spool l tends to wind and spool 5 tends to unwind. In this case increased tension is applied Ito the upper portion of belt l3 as compared to the tension for opposite rotation and greater upward force is accordingly exerted on idler l9 in opposition to spring 2l. Belt 13 therefore exerts less driving action and spool 5 tends to run free of the action of this belt.

The decreased tendency of belt 5-3 to Vrotate shaft 9 when shaft 1 is rotated in the lcounterclockwise'direction is supplemented by theaction 4 of brake 25. Thus, when belt |3 tends to rotate shaft 9 in the clockwise direction, spring 33 gives and limits the tension on belt 21. I-Iowever, When belt l3' tends to rotate shaft 9 counterclockwise, belt 21 does not give and greater tension results thereon at any given angular Velocity. Thus the effectiveness of belt |3 inirotating shaft 9 is decreased at the same time the retarding torque on the shaft is increased. The belt is thereby caused to slip and spool 5 caused to tend to release medium 3 at a slower rate than spool I tends to wind it'in. k

Since spool vl is rigidly connected to shaft 1 and rotation of that shaft acomplishes transfer of medium 3 in either direction, the rate of transfer can be exactly controlled by the rotation of that shaft. Thus it is merely necessary to pro- Vide a motor or other device having the requisite speed Characteristics to achieve any degree of speed control over the transfer. In the case of a magneticV recorder :and reproducer, for example, a motor 35 may be connected to shaft 1, by belt 43, this motor-beingof the 'Synchronous type to take advantageV of the good frequency regulation of' utility alternating current to maintain l Vthen causes substantially constant linear Velocity of medium 3 over head 31 so that the time varying magnetization thereof due to recorder and reproducer 39 (which may, for example, include a microphone and amplifier) imparts a corresponding variation in magnetization along' the and loudspeaker) to reproduce the intelligence;

It should be noted that any small Variations in linear Velocity of medium 3 associated with the increased effective diameter of spool l as medium 3 is wound thereon recur in each recording or reproduoing operation so that no changes in the fidelity of reproduction result therefrom.

. -I have found that effective operation of idler pulley assembly H1 can be achieved by using Va,

flat biasing spring 2| having the shape shown in the figure and Operating as a cantilever beam. This construction'is' inexpensive and has a high degree of resistance to mechanical shock and vibration. Furthermore, it is readily possible to adjust the force by biasing spring 2| by rotating anchored member 23 which may, for example, be accomplished 'by a mechanism such as that shown generally at 4l havinglocking screw 42.

The use of spring 2-l together with small, light weight, idler pulley 19, provides an overall system capable of rapidly following tension Variations in the belt [3. This prevents time delay between the instant a change in Velocity or tension of medium 3 and the corresponding variation in the driving torque through belt 13, thereby eliminating the possibility of entanglement created by such changes.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention it will be of course understood that I do not wish to be limitedV thereto since various modifications and alternative constructions may be made in the several elements and their arrangement. In particular, a directional brake of other construction may be substituted for brake 25 in accordance withthe dictates of the particular application to which the mechanismgis applied. I thereforecontemplate by the appended claims to cover a11 such modifications and alternative constructions as fall Within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A Winding and reeling mechanism including a first member having a medium receiving portion and a pulley portion, a second member having a medium receiving portion and a pair of pulley portions, a medium Wound about said medium receiving portions of said member for transfer therebetween by rotations thereof, a belt loosely Wound about the pulley portion of said first member and one pulley portion of said second member to cause driving action therebem tWeen, an idler pulley in operative engagement With said belt and rotatably mounted on a spring strap, means supporting said strap as a cantilever beam biasing said pulley in direction tending to tighten said beit and positioned to cause a substantial change in the direction of travel of said helt, so that rotation of the pulley portion of said one member in one direction causes greater belt forces opposing the action of said strap than rotation in the reverse direction, thus to cause said drive to exert less torque rotating in said one direction, and a brake band Wound about the other pulley portion of said second member to oppose rotation thereof, means fixedly supporting said band at one end and yieldably supporting said band at the other end, thus to cause increased braking action When said drive is rotated in said one direction so .as to overcome the driving action of said drive and causing said medium to be held taut regardiess of the direction of operation.

2. A Winding and reeling mechanism having in combination, a first spool and a second spool, pulley and belt means connecting said spools, said means having an idler pulley resilently biased to cause increased turning effort When said first spool is unwinding, brake means to retard said second spool when turning in the unvvind direction, said last means including a pulley connected to said second spool and a brake band Wound thereabout to produce retarding torque,

resilient means to release said brake band when said second spool rotates in the Wind direction thus causing said first means to drive said second spool in the Wind direction, drive means connected to said first spool, Whereby rotation of said drive means in one direction causes transfer of said medium in one direction and rotation of said drive means in the opposite direction causes reverse transfer of said medium and said medium is kept taut during all operations.

3. A Winding and reeling mechanism having in combination a first spool and a second spool, a medium Wound about said spools to be transferred therebetvveen, a pulley and belt system connecting said spools, said systern having a spring biased idler adapted to tighten when said first spool is unwinding and to loosen When said first spool is Winding and tending to cause said second spool to take up said medium at a greater rate than said medium release-d from said first spool, a directional brake to retard said second spool When unwinding, and drive means operably connected to said first spooi, Wherebj;7 rotation of said first spool in one direction causes transfer of said medium in one direction and rotation of said first spool in the opposite direction causes reverse transfer of said medium.

RAYMO-ND E. ZENNER.

REFERENCES C ITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FORE'IGN PATENTS Country Date Australia Nov. 26, 1926 Austria Oct. 25, 1934 Number Number 

